


Prisoner of War

by Chichirinoda



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-02
Updated: 2011-01-02
Packaged: 2017-10-14 08:32:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/147351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chichirinoda/pseuds/Chichirinoda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rufus is taken hostage by the Wutaian army, and Zack finds himself the only one able to protect him. Can they foil the Wutaian's plan and prevent a costly extension to the war?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/yaoi_challenge/profile)[**yaoi_challenge**](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/yaoi_challenge/)'s Choose Your Own Adventure challenge.

They came through the windows.

 _How_ anyone climbed up sixty floors of sheer metal, concrete and glass, jimmied a window, and made their way inside a nigh impregnable fortress, Rufus would never know. But it seemed easier to him than walking in the front door and evading literally hundreds of security cameras and dozens of security guards while climbing up those same sixty floors. So he concluded that it had to have been the windows.

He was absolutely exhausted when he returned to his office that night, drained after a day of dealing with the idiots that composed the ShinRa board of directors. And his father was the biggest idiot of all. Rufus might be Vice-President, but he was still a teenager, and certainly no one was listening to him. His throat was starting to hurt from resisting the urge to scream obscenities until everyone around him got a clue.

Not that that would ever happen.

Rufus stepped into the office, nodding to a passing pair of Turks who wished him a preemptory good night, then shut his door firmly. The lights were dimmed to a gentle glow, just a couple of pot lights keeping the room from complete darkness. He headed for the wall of windows, loosening his tie and running a hand back through his perfectly-coiffed hair, then tossed his head in an automatic gesture when those few strands fell back down to tickle his nose.

Staring out at the lights of Midgar - the beautiful lights of the glorious city that _he_ would inherit someday - always calmed him. Even when Scarlet was pushing her breasts up against his arm in a pathetic bid for a future marriage proposal. Even when Heidegger was giving his ridiculous laugh before coming out with another ludicrous proposal for a change in strategy at the war front that even Rufus - not exactly trained in mass combat strategy - could see was idiotic.

Even after dealing with all of that, Rufus could simply look out at the panorama and feel some hope for the future.

A breeze stirred his hair and he frowned. Most of the windows in his office were huge floor-to-ceiling panes, but there was a row of smaller windows at either side that could be opened to provide some air circulation. One of those windows had been propped open.

He turned to close the window, and at the last moment saw a reflection superimposed in front of the lights of Midgar.

Eyes.

He whirled, his hand reaching into his coat for the gun he kept in his holster, tucked under his arm. He caught the barest glimpse of three men standing arrayed around the room. All three were dressed entirely in black, their faces cowled and covered so that all Rufus could see were their almond-shaped eyes. One had been right behind him, and raised a sap even as Rufus turned.

The ill-aimed sap came down and pain exploded in the side of Rufus' head. He went to his knees, and there was another surge of pain as his assailant kicked his gun out of his hand. He lunged forward, shoving his office chair aside and hearing it strike the nearest Wutaian, who let out a grunt.

"He's going for a panic button. Stop him!" Rufus heard one of them say. The closest one shoved the chair aside with an oath, and just as Rufus reached for the button on the underside of his desk, he felt the sap strike him on the back of his head.

The next thing he knew he was face down on the floor under his desk, his arm still stretched out, reaching for a button he hadn't had a chance to press. Then he didn't know anything more for a long while after that.

~ ~ ~

Rufus woke to a jolt that vibrated his entire body from his teeth down to his toenails. He groaned as pain pulsed through his head, answered by agony in his shoulders. His hands were chained together behind his back, the bonds pulled cruelly tight. He could feel the handcuffs biting uncomfortably into his wrists and shifted to try to relieve some of the pressure as he opened his eyes.

He couldn't see much from his position. There was a wooden crate about two feet away from him, filling his vision. From the smell of mako fuel and the vibration of the engine in the hard steel under him, he seemed to be on a vehicle of some kind. A troop carrier truck, maybe?

As he twisted around and saw all of the other crates, it confirmed his suspicions. No troops, but this truck seemed to be filled with supplies. Were the crates filled with weapons, or food for a long war campaign?

It didn't really matter right at the moment, though. The important thing was that Rufus had been kidnapped, and by Wutaians no less. They probably meant to ransom him back to his father for concessions in the war.

Fuck, if that was what they intended he was as good as dead.

His worries were interrupted by the thump of boots approaching him. He twisted around, struggling to sit up, and managed to do so just in time to see one of the boots swinging towards his face. A moment later, he was flat on his back again, seeing stars.

"Better not to move, boy prince," a rough, accented voice advised him. The man crouched down over Rufus, and he looked up into the face of a man at least fifteen years his senior. There was an ugly scar running from the corner of his eye to the line of his jaw. It looked fresh, no more than a few months old.

"You're all alone here, boy," the man growled. "No one to rescue you. So you'd better do what I say. Listen to Fong Xin, and it'll go easier for you."

Rufus' whole face pulsed with pain and he found himself gasping for breath like a landed fish. His shoulders screamed at him, but he didn't dare move. Not after the brutal kick he'd just been treated to for absolutely no provocation. He wondered if the man had just broken his cheekbone.

"W-what do you want?" he managed. "Why have you people kidnapped me?"

Xin laughed and seized Rufus by the hair, dragging him up to sit against a crate. Rufus hissed softly, certain he'd just lost more than a few of the bright golden strands. But at least he wasn't putting all of his weight on his bound hands anymore.

"Such an arrogant pup," Xin mocked. "Already asking the questions when you should be smart enough to keep your mouth shut and your head down. You should be saying 'yes Xin-sama', and shutting up."

Rufus shut his mouth and counted to ten, silently, in his head. He wasn't given to meekly submitting to bullies, and he'd already marked his jailer as one. On the other hand, he didn't much want to get slapped around anymore. He had to find a way to get the man onto his side.

Xin grinned at him, his fingers still tangled in Rufus' hair. The man was lean and muscled, and had the arrogant self-importance of a thug who had climbed a bit too high in the ranks. But there was intelligence in those dark eyes. He might look like a thug, but Rufus suspected things might not be that simple.

Finally Rufus dared to open his mouth again. "Look, I'll cooperate with you," he said. "I'm sure you've got better things to do than watch over some ShinRa hostage, so I'm not going to make things difficult for you. I just asked what you wanted, because maybe we can come to some arrangement. There will be people after me, probably already hot on your tail right now. Maybe we can make a deal before they get here, and we can resolve this without bloodshed."

Xin threw back his head and laughed, long and hard. "'Without bloodshed', he says," he hooted, and smacked Rufus on the back of the head. It was an almost casual swat, but Xin didn't hold back, and the bruises from the sap ignited with pain again.

Xin leaned forward, and his face loomed in front of Rufus' eyes. "What I want is for your father, the President of ShinRa, to leave our country alone. We didn't ask for your blasphemous reactor, and we don't want you people telling us what to do. Do you think you can guarantee me that, boy?"

Rufus swallowed, leaning back as far as he was able. "I'm sure you know that I'm not just the President's son. I'm also the Vice President. I do have the authority to discuss a cessation of hostilities--" he began.

A fist drove deep into Rufus' stomach, and the teen doubled over, gagging. He gasped for breath as Xin laughed at him, watching him suffer with nothing but amusement and hatred in his dark eyes.

Before Rufus had caught his breath, Xin seized his hair again and yanked his head back hard. "Don't lie to me, boy," Xin growled. "You can't 'discuss' anything with me, and you know it. But Wutai will get what we want, or you'll go home one piece at a time, in very tiny boxes, until there's nothing left of you."

He shoved Rufus hard and the blond fell to the floor, curling up on his side in a foetal position as he struggled to breathe. He listened as Xin walked away and closed his eyes tightly. He didn't like the sound of that.

Not at all.

~ ~ ~

The truck bumped along the badly-maintained road, making it hard for Zack to keep his feet.

One might suggest that he solve this problem by sitting down instead of pacing the aisle of the troop carrier - and it _had_ been suggested, several times, by the troopers he was travelling with - but Zack needed to work off nervous energy. Sitting and waiting just wasn't cutting it at all.

He was supposed to be on leave this week, but rumours of massing forces in the Wutaian mountains had resulted in a pretty major troop movement response from ShinRa and prompted Zack to cut his leave short.

In all honesty, he was eager to get back into the fray.

Rather than continue to bug the troopers in the back, he moved forward to the front of the truck and leaned on the back of the driver's seat, gazing out the front windshield. They were winding through the mountains, high cliffs rising up on one side and a steep hill falling away on the other. Very pretty, though a bit desolate. Zack couldn't understand why the Wutaians ever settled in a place that was so difficult to get around in.

"Hey Zack," the driver teased good-naturedly. "You here to bug me now? Ramuh, you might be a 2nd class Soldier, sir, but you're like a little kid."

The road ahead was rough and a light rockslide had covered it with rubble. The truck rumbled onto the gravel just as Zack opened his mouth to answer.

There was a loud _crump_ , and suddenly Zack felt his stomach flip-flop as the world turned upside-down. His feet left the floor as the truck rolled down the slope and he grabbed the driver's chair, holding onto it for dear life. He could hear screaming all around him and sickening crunches and cracking sounds. His body slammed back and forth, but he managed somehow to hold on.

The windshield imploded and Zack heard the driver's screams of terror increase in pitch and then stop abruptly. Shards of glass flew past Zack but the chair protected him from the deadly projectiles.

Finally the rolling truck came to a lurching stop. Zack heard a few groans of pain but far fewer than he would have wanted to. Maybe most of the troopers had been knocked out.

"Hey, anyone still alive back there?" Zack called out, struggling to keep his voice steady. Just a major car accident, right? Started by...landmines? He was so befuddled, he couldn't quite make that make sense. _Just figure it out, Zack. Start with getting yourself out of the truck, you can find out what happened after._ Physically, at least, he was banged up but relatively unhurt. Had anyone else fared as well as he had?

If anyone answered his call, it was drowned out by another series of concussive sounds - more explosions up above them - and an ominous rumbling sound.

"Shit, what now?" Zack exclaimed.

The truck had come to a rest upside-down. He crawled forward on what was until recently the roof of the truck, and stuck his head out the ruined windshield.

Below, not far away, the world dropped away. Zack was treated to a stunning vista, but the precipice was far too close for comfort. It looked like the truck had hit a large boulder and been stopped before it could go over the edge. Almost immediately, the ongoing rumbling sound drew his eyes back up the slope.

A torrent of rocks was bearing down at them - fast.

"Everybody out!" Zack yelled, his voice high with panic. The avalanche would definitely bury the truck if it didn't crush it like a tin can.

He turned to help the driver and paused, his gorge rising, when he saw the hunk of meat that was hanging in the safety belt. The steering wheel had crushed the trooper's chest and the flying glass had finished the job. Blood ran from a hundred cuts and there were no signs of life.

Cursing, Zack crawled out of the truck and faced the avalanche, his adrenaline spiking. He looked around for anyone else coming out of the truck he could aid, but he couldn't see anyone. Was everyone incapacitated?

Then at the top of the hill, he spotted three men sitting astride motorcycles. The men were dressed in black, and Zack recognized the uniform of the Wutaian Crescent Unit.

Something clicked inside Zack and he saw red.

 _It was an ambush. Landmines under the truck and secondary bombs to bring the whole mountain down on top of us. It was a **fucking** ambush!_

The motorcycle engines roared and the three Wutaian soldiers took off, apparently satisfied that their work was done. Zack grabbed his sword of his back and leaped into action just as the first of the bouncing rocks reached him.

A normal human couldn't have done it. If Zack had thought about it, he'd have probably screwed it up.

But he wasn't thinking in that moment.

His feet touched the nearest boulder and propelled him forward, bouncing from rock to rock until he reached the level of the road. With one more giant leap he reached solid ground again, touching down on pavement beyond the slide.

The motorcycles were out of sight, the dust kicked up by their passage mingling with the choking clouds thrown up by the explosions and rockslide, which was already starting to peter out.

Zack paused for a moment and looked back, consumed with guilt that he'd left the troopers behind. What he saw, though, stunned him.

There was no truck, or rather, no sign that there had ever been one. Whether it had been crushed by the slide or swept off the precipice at the bottom of the slope, Zack couldn't tell. Either way, any survivors of the initial wreck were far beyond saving now.

Still numb as his mind struggled to process the deaths of a dozen innocent troopers, Zack pulled out his PHS. Somewhere in the back of his frozen brain was the thought that he should alert headquarters of what had happened. But when he saw the cracked case and the damaged innards leaking out, he tossed the useless thing away. He was on his own.

Zack set his teeth and turned to face north, the direction the Crescent Unit soldiers had gone. Then he broke into a fast, steady run, a pace he could keep up for hours.

He'd catch up with the bastards who had set a trap for a single, unsuspecting troop carrier, still far inside friendly territory. Even if it took all day, he'd catch up.

A motorcycle needed to refuel. Normal humans needed to stop and rest.

But nothing stopped a Soldier with vengeance in his heart.

~ ~ ~

It was dark by the time Zack caught up to the Wutaians. By then, it wasn't just three Wutai soldiers. They had rejoined some kind of convoy.

Two big trucks and six bikes gathered together just behind a ridge, hidden from the road. Zack crept up on them from above, the rising moon illuminating the hustle and bustle of the camp.

What were so many Wutaian soldiers doing in ShinRa territory? Granted, they were on the island that had until recently been exclusively Wutai territory, and was now about half occupied by ShinRa. But there were patrols! And troops everywhere! Were the Wutaians setting traps all over, or was there a greater purpose to their presence here?

Though he wanted to just rush in and lay waste to them all, something - probably Angeal's voice in the back of his head - held him back. Angeal would be so proud.

He waited and watched as tents were pitched, rations were handed out, and most of the soldiers settled down to sleep. Several arrayed themselves around to keep watch, but no one saw the Soldier stretched out on his stomach at the top of the ridge, blending in with the rocks in his dark blue 2nd class uniform.

A couple of the soldiers entered one of the trucks, which Zack had already figured out was carrying supplies, while the other had been transporting the soldiers not riding on the bikes.

He wasn't expecting to hear faint screams coming from the truck, but when the sound reached his ears he started up to his feet before he had a chance to think.

 _What are they doing? Who are they hurting in there?_

He grabbed his sword from his back and raced down the slope at a headlong, reckless pace. A few shouts of alarm rose from the camp, but Zack reached the nearest sentry before he could grab his weapon, and cut him down as he tried to bring the strange staff-shaped gun to bear.

The next few minutes were a blur of movement, gunfire, and blood. Zack cut through the sentries like they were nothing but kindling.

He had a fire materia in his bracer, nothing fancy, but it did help. Within moments, half the tents in the makeshift camp were on fire, the sleepers either roasting in their beds or fleeing as they choked and coughed and beat out the flames that had ignited their clothes.

Zack didn't waste any time watching it happen. He cut down another sentry that had run towards him, bladed weapons flashing, then blocked the gunfire of another with his sword before sending another jet of flame after him.

Then he darted towards the truck. He couldn't hear any more screaming, and he was afraid of what he might find. But just before he reached it the door banged open and a two men emerged.

The one in front was blond, his once-white clothes filthy, and his handsome face bruised. He had his hands cuffed behind his back, and his blue eyes lit up with hope the moment he saw Zack.

Unfortunately the other one had his arm around his neck, and a gun pointed at his head.

"Put your weapon down and lie down on the ground!" the man snarled. He had an ugly scar on his face and his face twisted with hatred. "Do it now or I kill him!"

"Woah," Zack stared at the two men, holding his sword up in a non-threatening way. "Hang on, now. Just calm down. You don't have to kill him, I'm putting the sword down." Never mind that he was almost as deadly without it as he was with it.

The sword hit the ground, and the Wutaian nodded. "Good, now lay down on the ground and don't move."

 _What is he, crazy? I don't want to do that!_ Other surviving Wutaians were starting to come closer, perhaps realizing that the tables seemed to have turned. Zack's eyes darted from side to side, but the crazy man with the hostage was holding all the cards.

"Okay, okay," Zack growled, dropping to his knees. "Just don't hurt him."

The Wutaian began dragging the blond backwards towards one of the motorcycles and Zack cursed roundly as he continued to drop down. The guy definitely didn't look like he was bluffing.

"Kill him!" the man cried, addressing the few Wutaians who were approaching warily. "I will take the prisoner on ahead."

Then a shout came from an unexpected quarter.

"No!" the blond shouted, and the scarred Wutaian yelped. The blond had slammed his bound fists into his gut and broken free. The blond raced towards Zack, who grabbed his sword and was on his feet in the same moment.

"Good boy!" Zack exclaimed, though the guy didn't look any younger than he did. He darted forward to meet the stumbling blond and the Wutaian turned and fled, hopping on one of the motorcycles and gunning the engine.

"This isn't over, boy prince!" the man shouted as he sped away. "Or you, either, freak!" That last seemed to be directed at Zack.

"So clichd!" Zack shouted back at the man's dust trail.

Furious that the man had escaped, Zack turned, sword in hand, but there was no one left to attack. The other Wutaians had made themselves scarce, and the blond was standing right next to him, staring in relief up at Zack.

"You really came. How did you find me?" the blond asked. There was something weirdly familiar about him, but Zack couldn't quite put his finger on it. He grinned and put up his sword, glancing around the campsite for a moment before moving behind the blond to see what he could do about those handcuffs.

"Oh, you know," Zack said modestly. "I'm a hero. That's what heroes do." No sense in disabusing the kid of the notion that he had come _for_ him. It wasn't nearly as impressive if it turned out the whole thing had just been a coincidence.

"Uh huh, well you can bet you'll be a hero now," the blond said fervently. "What's your name, Soldier?"

"Zack Fair, Soldier 2nd class at your service," he said cheerfully. "And you are? Hang on, this ought to help." He grabbed the circlets around the young man's wrists and pulled hard. The chain snapped.

There was a rather stunned silence. The blond lifted his hands in front of his eyes, staring for a moment. Then he looked back at Zack, an eyebrow raised inquiringly. "You...don't know who I am?"

"Um." Zack smiled winningly. "Uh, I can't really be sure. Lots of stuff going on with Wutai at the moment. To be honest, I didn't know you were here when I got here." Oh well, so much for looking like the white knight who'd ridden in to rescue him. Hey, he still _had_ rescued him, which had to count for points.

The blond blinked slowly. Zack could almost see his world realigning, and he wondered what exactly he was thinking.

Then he found out. "I'm Rufus ShinRa. Didn't they actually _send_ anyone to rescue me?"

Zack felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. No wonder he looked familiar! With that nasty shiner and the other bruises, he hadn't recognized him. Not to mention the fact that the last place he would have expected to encounter the son of the President would be in the middle of contested territory in a war zone.

"Hey, hey I'm _sure_ they sent lots of people to rescue you," he hastened to reassure the blond. And he was sincere. How could they not? He was the fucking future President! Why would Rufus question his importance? "It's just that I was on leave, and heading back to the front with a bunch of troopers. They just didn't tell _me_ you were kidnapped. I'm sure they're keeping it quiet and sending in all the Turks to try to find you or something. Lucky for both of us, I found you first."

"Oh, I see," Rufus said, looking somewhat relieved again. "Well I guess that explains it. I heard them talking about someone following behind them that they needed to elude. I guess that was you."

"That was me," Zack said, a trace of bitterness in his tone. He brightened, though it was a bit of an effort. He had to maintain morale for the future President, after all. "Anyway, we should probably get you out of here before they come back to get their equipment. You can ride with me." He headed towards one of the motorcycles.

"With you?" Rufus asked, rubbing his hands together to get the circulation back. "Can't I just ride one of the other bikes? I do know how."

Zack glanced at Rufus over his shoulder, seeing the exhausted set of his body and the careful way he was moving. "Nah, better if you ride with me. I can go faster than you can - better reflexes. And if anyone shoots at us, I can manoeuvre the bike to dodge better than you, too. It's safer this way."

Rufus was silent for a moment. "That...makes sense. My apologies, I'm not used to dealing with Soldiers. I'll bow to your expertise."

Zack patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay," he said. "Just trust me, Rufus - uh, sir - and I'll get you through this. I promise."

Rufus glanced up at him again. From everything Zack had heard about the President, he had to admit to feeling a bit wary about the young scion of the ShinRa Electric Power Company. But Rufus smiled at him and nodded. "I'll trust you. Lead the way. How far is your troop transport?"

Zack straddled the bike, shifting forward so Rufus could sit behind him. The keys were in the ignition and he turned them, the roar of the engine sparing him from answering for a moment as it started. He glanced at Rufus, then away, holding still as the blond slid onto the bike behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Uh, the Wutaians blew up my transport," he admitted, shouting over the roar of the engine. "They're all dead."

While Rufus chewed on that, he fired off another few Fire spells, then kicked the motorcycle into gear. The transport trucks blew sky-high, the tanks of spare mako fuel inside igniting, and Zack zoomed away as the rest of the campsite was obliterated. If there were any people intending to return for the equipment, they'd be sorely disappointed.


	2. Chapter 2

Rufus honestly didn't know how to feel about his new situation. On the one hand, he was no longer in the hands of the Wutaians. His arms were free, though he had some chic new jewellery adorning his abused wrists, and he was on a motorcycle speeding away from the people who had kidnapped and hurt him.

On the other hand, Zack had gone through a lot, too. The troop transport was destroyed, and they were lost in the mountains with nothing but a motorcycle for transportation, and no supplies or food. Rufus had no idea how far they were from the front, or from a ShinRa base. Every time they turned a corner, he expected to see Wutaians returning to recapture him.

Despite Zack's assurances that he knew what he was doing, Rufus felt far from safe.

Still, the scales were slightly balanced more towards 'good' than 'bad', he figured. Even if his fat was still far from being completely out of the fire, he was definitely safer with a Soldier than alone.

It was hard to relax when it was pitch black and you were speeding at a breakneck pace through twisting mountain roads, though. He could barely see the cliffs going by, but somehow, some animal part of him knew that not far away was a fall that would definitely kill him, and he couldn't do a thing to control where he was going.

"I assume you can see?" he shouted over the roar of the engine and the rush of the wind.

"Huh?" Zack called back, and actually _turned_ back towards him. Rufus' hands tightened on the Soldier's chest. _Look where you're going!_ Thankfully, it was only a glance and then Zack's eyes were back on the road again. "Oh yeah, of course. I can see really well in the dark. Must be the mako, yanno? Are you okay, Mr. ShinRa, sir? Do you need to stop?"

Rufus closed his eyes and leaned his head against Zack's back. The Soldier was warm - almost too warm, like there was a furnace burning inside him. It was nice, under the circumstances, and with his eyes closed Rufus couldn't see the cliffs whipping past.

"No, I'm all right for now," he said. "How much further do you think we have to go?"

"Uh..." Zack seemed to be thinking hard. "Well, we won't make it to headquarters with the fuel we've got. If I push it, we'll manage a couple more hours, though, and then we'll have to hoof it. Not sure how long it'll take, honestly."

Rufus grimaced, an edge of irritation entering his voice. "Can't we just call for someone to pick us up? Why in Ramuh's name should we walk?" Surely there was _somewhere_ in this godforsaken place where they could land a helicopter. Or someone could send a phalanx of troops to escort him in. Or at least a goddamn truck! Why was this so difficult?

Zack's chagrin was audible in his voice, even though he was still forced to shout. "Well, my PHS was damaged in the attack, sir," he said cautiously. "Sorry, I didn't have a chance to mention it before, but no one knows we're here, or that I rescued you. We're just going to have to make our own way back."

There was a long silence as Rufus absorbed that most unwelcome news. He could feel tension in Zack's back and sighed softly, wondering what the Soldier was thinking - probably that he'd pissed off a member of the same family as the man who signed his paycheques. The same man who wasn't exactly known for his forbearance with people who failed to tell him what he wanted to hear.

But that was Rufus' father, not Rufus himself. Rufus forced himself to free a hand from its deathgrip on the leather straps that composed part of Zack's outfit. He spread the hand and pressed it against Zack's chest in a way that he hoped was at least vaguely soothing. "It's all right, Zack. Not your fault. Just get me home safely, and I don't care how you do it."

Zack sagged slightly, and let out a laugh. "Don't you worry, Mr. ShinRa, sir. I'll get you home safely. I swear nothing bad will happen to you so long as you're with me."

Somehow, when he said it like that, it was easy for Rufus to believe him.

"Thank you, Zack," Rufus said honestly. He rested his head against Zack's warm back and closed his eyes. Even under these circumstances, his exhaustion was tugging at him, and shockingly, after a few minutes he fell into a light doze even as they wound through the mountain passes.

He awoke with a jerk as the bike slowed, the pitch of the engine changing as they drove off the road and bumped down a track that had probably only been used by goats up to now.

"What's going on?" he asked, sitting up and freeing a hand to smother a yawn. Zack was actually holding his hand, and steering the motorcycle with the other. He realized with chagrin that that hold was probably the only thing that had kept him on the motorcycle while he slept.

"Thought you could use a break," Zack said cheerfully. "You must be really tired, Mr. Vice President."

Rufus noted with weary amusement that every time Zack addressed him he was using a different title. "You can just call me Rufus, Zack. I think you've earned it. And I do think I could use some proper sleep. The Wutaians didn't really let me sleep much."

The motorcycle came to a stop and Zack twisted around enough to flash Rufus a big grin. "Okay then, Rufus. Thanks! I'm not really all that into being formal all the time. It's not really in my nature."

Rufus couldn't help but smile as he got off the motorcycle. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me," he said.

The stars were a bright spackling of white in the black sky, the moon now setting, and almost gone behind the highest mountains. It was so dark. Rufus had never been in a place so dark before - the lights of the city were his nighttime home. Even on the darkest, moonless nights, the city lights of Midgar always burned.

It was cold, too. The wind whipped past him and carried the bite of snow. How high up were they?

He turned to Zack, trying to put his unease out of his mind. The Soldier had abandoned the bike and was walking away, continuing in the direction they'd been driving in, away from the road. Rufus hurried to catch up, scarcely able to see the black uniform in the dark. "So is the bike out of fuel, then?"

Zack glanced at him. His eyes were glowing blue - it was far more obvious now than it had ever been. Rufus hadn't realized how much Soldier eyes actually did glow. But his smile was reassuring. "Yeah. We coasted in here on fumes. Sorry, Rufus, but come morning we'll be walking."

Rufus winced, but reality was reality. Zack was doing his best to take care of him, and all of this wasn't his fault. "Where are we, exactly?" he asked, hoping Zack would actually be able to give him an answer.

"Well..." Zack put his hands on his hips and leaned back a little. "I'm not sure _exactly_." He grinned. "But I think I recognize this area. If I'm right, there's a ShinRa cache around here."

"A cache?"

Zack nodded. "Weapons, equipment. If we're really lucky, even a vehicle. Or heck, other soldiers. But now that the front has moved so far, it could have been completely cleaned out and abandoned, too."

"Or the Wutaians could have found it," Rufus pointed out glumly.

"Well...that's really not supposed to happen," Zack said. "But it seems there's more going on with the Wutaians than we thought. Somehow they were able to evade us and get that many troops across the border."

Rufus nodded, running a hand through his hair. There were some things he'd wanted to tell Zack, but hadn't gotten the chance before. This seemed like a good opportunity. "I was thinking about that, and I overheard some things while I was kidnapped that I think you need to know, Zack. I don't think the Wutaians holding me are the only ones on this side of the line."

Zack turned towards him, his expression grave. "What do you mean, Rufus?"

The blond pursed his lips, folding his arms as he considered how to put it. _Just like giving a boardroom presentation,_ he thought to himself, but this was a bit different. He knew nothing about military strategy, and he'd only heard bits and pieces. He couldn't be really sure of what he'd heard - or even whether it had been staged for his benefit.

Still, he couldn't just ignore the implications of what he'd heard.

"They were heading to meet another, larger group," he said slowly. "I'm sure of that. I'm also sure that that group was on _this_ side of the lines. On the ShinRa side."

"That's crazy," Zack exclaimed. Then he seemed to remember himself. "Uh, sorry, sir. But really, how could there be a large force of Wutaians on this side of the lines? We pushed them back, and I think we'd notice any significant force moving around."

Rufus shook his head. "It's difficult terrain, Zack. Maybe something's been missed. I don't know, really, but I know what I heard. They were going to sneak me across the border in a small group, but I'm sure the remainder of my honour guard was going to stay behind with the rest of these soldiers who were waiting for them."

Zack thought for a moment. They were still walking, moving downwards a bit, the slope could have been treacherous, but the rock under Rufus' feet were secure and rough, giving him good footing. He stuck close to Zack, though. He still couldn't see much, and it he slipped he had no idea if there was anything to grab onto other than the Soldier.

"You know," Zack said. "I heard there was a large force massing on the Wutaian side of the border. That's why I was called back early from leave, and I heard that the brass has ordered troops moved to counter the coming attack. Maybe that's what they were talking about."

"No Zack," Rufus said, a bit more sharply than he intended. He drew a breath, softened his tone, though Zack was only looking at him out of the corner of his eye. "I mean, I'm sure they said it was on this side of the border. They were going to meet up with the troops and _then_ take me across the border. That was clear." He frowned. "Zack, I think we've underestimated Wutai."

The look Zack gave Rufus was sympathetic. He wondered if Zack thought he was just paranoid because of his experiences.

He couldn't quite dismiss that thought, either.

"Listen to me," he said urgently. "Those men got all the way into my office without being detected. In small groups, they're sneaky, Zack. I've heard that they...they train people to be something called a 'ninja', that they can get in anywhere."

Zack scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I've met a couple of their ninjas, myself. Those stories might be true. But still, there's a big difference between moving a couple of people through a busy city to kidnap someone - even in a protected building like the Tower - and moving enough troops across a patrolled border to pose a serious threat. A couple of people could slip through, but not that many!"

"What if they came across a couple of people at a time?" Rufus challenged. "Slipping them through in drips and drabs when we're looking the other way."

The Soldier shook his head. "Maybe they could - _probably_ they could. But it'd take forever to bring across enough people to challenge our army. What are you thinking, Rufus? That they're planning on ambushing General Sephiroth?"

"Maybe," Rufus said. "But no, not exactly. You said Wutai is mounting a massive assault at one specific place on the border. Now I think part of the reason might be to distract the army and draw them off so they could smuggle me across. Correct?"

Zack was silent for a moment. "Looks that way, sir. Yeah, you're probably right about that."

Rufus nodded. "Well we're prepared for this assault and I have no doubt that Sephiroth is equipped to meet it. But how many soldiers would be needed to cause a crucial distraction? What if this group of soldiers on the wrong side of the border aren't intended to overwhelm our army, but simply crush it between two forces, distract our troopers enough to allow the main force to achieve a significant victory?"

He spread his hands and looked up at Zack. The Soldier's eyes were wide with horrified realization. Rufus continued, sure now that he was on to something after all. "The ShinRa army wouldn't be expecting anyone to come from behind, and even a small group could cause enough chaos to give the main force their chance."

"Odin's underwear, you might be right, Rufus!" Zack exclaimed. "That'd be just the kind of thing Wutai would do. You're really sneaky to think of that, Mr. Vice President. Shame on you." He was grinning, though, and Rufus returned the smile.

Zack was teasing. Right?

The Soldier sobered. "But damn, we have to do something! We can't let that force catch the army with their pants down."

Rufus nodded quickly, feeling a surge of hope. After all, this had been just the reason he wanted to bring this up. Perhaps something good could come out of this. But the sensation was short-lived. "We can't, though," he said. "We don't even have a PHS. And walking...we'll never catch up to the army. Even if we knew where they were."

"That guy who escaped," Zack said. "He's probably on his way to meet up with the army, too, right? He'll want to tell them that you escaped, that that part of the mission failed."

"Xin," Rufus said darkly. "That's his name. And yes, I'm sure he'd be on his way to do that, and probably to take part in the attack. He really seems to loathe ShinRa."

Zack nodded. "I'm sure I've seen him before," he said thoughtfully. Then, amazingly, he brightened. "So we'll follow him. He'll have to run out of gas, too. So we can't be too far behind him."

Rufus was less optimistic than Zack, but he strongly suspected that _most_ people were less optimistic than Zack. "We still don't know where he's going," he pointed out.

"Don't worry," Zack said cheerfully. "We'll think of something."

~ ~ ~

"Don't worry, we'll think of something." Zack hadn't been feigning optimism when he said those words, but it had been a bit more of a struggle than usual.

Still, Zack was of the opinion that if you didn't think about things one step at a time you might skip one by accident and then imagine what sorts of things would get screwed up that way!

They located the building a few minutes after that. It was nothing more than a hastily erected shack nestled in the cranny formed by two rising cliffs. It was incredibly isolated and hard to get to if you didn't already know where it was. Even still, after the day he'd had he was relieved to see that it seemed untouched by the enemy.

He pulled on the door, which opened shakily with a creak of rusted hinges, and gestured towards the black interior with a grin. "Home sweet ShinRa," he announced. Rufus looked so exhausted he was a bit green around the gills. "Lemme get the generator going and see if there are any lights."

"Okay," Rufus said with a nod, and made no move to go inside.

Zack could sympathize. Not knowing what was inside, and not being able to see - he could see how that would be pretty frightening. Especially after Rufus' ordeal.

"Stay right there," the Soldier said unnecessarily. "I'll be right back, Rufus." He went around to the side and located the little gas-powered generator. It was mako fuel, of course, and the stuff lasted damn near forever. It didn't take more than a few cranks before the motor caught with a roar and settled to a low, irritating hum.

Returning to the front, Zack flashed Rufus a thumb's-up he probably couldn't see in the dark, then reached inside the shack and flicked on the light. The long-lasting halogen bulb flickered, caught, flickered again and then finally stayed on, casting a searing white glow over the inside of the building.

Zack winced at the sudden brightness after so long in the dark and saw Rufus doing the same, but the blond moved forward eagerly as if craving the light. Zack ducked inside first and took a quick look around, while Rufus crowded into the shelter after him.

"Hey Rufus," Zack exclaimed after only a cursory glance. "We've scored a lucky break this time!"

Rufus had already torn open a crate of ration bars and had one of the foil-wrapped objects in his hand as he looked around at Zack. "Yeah?" he asked, his eyes wide.

Zack gestured to two canisters in the corner. "Fuel! We don't have to walk, at least for now."

"Oh thank Ramuh and all the gods," Rufus said fervently.

Laughing, Zack tapped Rufus on the shoulder. The blow staggered him a little, and Zack grabbed the same shoulder to steady him. The shack was so small that he could almost stand at the opposite end and still reach the other man. "You didn't strike me as a religious man, Rufus."

"I'm not," Rufus said, wincing and pulling from Zack's grip. He rubbed his shoulder, then ripped open the ration. "But for something like that I'll make an exception - just in case it really was divine intervention."

Another laugh. "I hear ya," Zack chortled. "Well, you go ahead and eat your fill. I see we have water, too, and a couple of blankets. We should be comfortable for the rest of the night, at least."

"Relatively speaking," Rufus said wryly.

As Rufus settled down next to the crate and tore into the unappetizing bar of protein and carbohydrates, Zack made a quick, informal inventory of the contents of the shack. In addition to what he'd already seen, he found a few rifles, several boxes of rounds, and a small rattly box that turned out to be two potions remaining out of a 24-pack.

He brought these to Rufus. "Here, drink these down," Zack said gently, squatting down next to the Vice President. "It's not much, but it ought to help, at least."

Rufus' eyes widened as if he'd just brought him ambrosial nectar from the gods. "It'll do," he said. He looked up at Zack, a smile pulling his lips to one side. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done, Zack."

"Hey," Zack said, grinning unabashedly. "I've just done my job, Rufus. You're the Vice President, after all. No need to thank me. Anyone would have done the same, for you."

For some reason, the smile vanished like smoke for a moment, then returned. Now, it didn't seem to quite reach his eyes. "Ah...of course, I know that, Zack. But still, I want you to know it's appreciated."

Somehow, Zack sensed there was something off about Rufus' response, but he couldn't figure out what it was, so he mostly glossed over it in his mind. He watched as Rufus downed three of the bars, and ate two of them himself, then cast around for some way to sleep relatively comfortably.

He grabbed the pile of scratchy blankets, and laid one on the floor, rolled up another, and put the last one on top of the whole. "That ought to do us for the night, huh?" he said, beaming at Rufus.

To his surprise, the young scion didn't even bat an eye. "Looks just fine, Zack. Thanks."

"Good," Zack said, moving towards the door. "I'll just do a circuit or two. You sleep as long as you need to." He reached out and flicked off the light as he went by.

He heard Rufus draw in a breath and let it out. "What's the point?"

Zack blinked and glanced at the blond. Though he knew the building was pitch black inside, he could see the outline of where he was, still sitting on the crate. "What do you mean?"

Rufus shrugged. "Aren't we hidden here? Wandering around might only draw attention. Besides, you've been up late, too. You can't protect me if you fall over half-dead from exhaustion."

Zack blinked slowly, then grinned and moved forward, dropping a hand to Rufus' shoulder. "Okay, okay, I'll stick around with you, Rufus," he said cheerfully. "Just let me stow my gear. You get comfortable."

Rufus twitched with irritation. "It's not like I need you to stick around," he said. "I just don't see any sense in--"

Right, and he had wings and could fly. "Yeah, I understand," Zack said, feigning nonchalance.

 _Poor kid. After what he went through, he might be worried I'll disappear on him. Maybe he's even afraid of the dark! He's been nervous since the sun went down._

He stretched out on the makeshift bed and waited as Rufus squirmed restlessly and settled down as well. As Zack watched the ceiling, he listened as the other man's breathing evened out, hitched, and finally settled into a deep rhythm that spoke of sleep.

Eventually, more from boredom than from his own sleepiness - the situation still had him keyed up, and he didn't feel tired at all, though he knew he _should_ be - Zack also closed his eyes and let himself drift off.

~ ~ ~

Rufus knew who it was without even needing to turn over and look, because it only took a day before the smell was indelibly marked in his memory.

Xin smelled of tobacco and mako exhaust and dust, of sweat clinging too long to clothes that hadn't been properly washed with soap and chemicals in weeks or months. It wasn't a strong smell - Xin was unshaven and rough and scarred, but he wasn't a slob. He was just on a long operation far from civilization.

But Rufus would know that smell until his dying day. Like he knew the calluses on Xin's fingertips, and the scratch of his beard. Like he knew the rumble of his laugh, and the exact quality of pain that Xin could wring from his body with a few punches and kicks.

Xin always laughed when Rufus screamed, like he liked the sound. Like he was laughing right now, the sound drowning out the roar of the truck's motor, and the voices of his men.

He could barely hear that voice over the sound, and yet there was something insistent about it. The voice was calling his name, over and over, and then Xin grabbed his shoulder and Rufus cringed away, knowing what was coming next, and screamed so loud he thought his head would explode--

"Rufus!"

The scream was still ringing in Rufus' ears as he jerked away from Zack and his eyes flew open. There was a moment of pure confusion and panic as he stared up into the blackness of an unfamiliar place, wondering why he wasn't bound, why the pain he'd felt was already fading to nothing, why there was no rumble or vibration.

Then he looked at Zack, saw the look of concern on his face by the glow of his eyes, and his heart rate began to slow.

"Z-Zack," he said, and it came out as a croak. His throat was _aching_ and he realized that he really had been screaming in his sleep.

"Yeah," Zack said, his eyes wide. He had his hand out towards Rufus, but didn't touch him again. "You were...uh..."

"Having a nightmare," Rufus finished for him softly.

He turned over and fisted Zack's shirt. He was still shaking from the after effects of the nightmare, but moving helped a bit, to banish the ghosts that still clung to him.

"Hey," Zack whispered worriedly. His arms went around Rufus in a sort of awkward hug, as if he wasn't sure whether he should or not, but wanted to offer some kind of comfort. He was grateful for it, even as it made him smile. "You okay?"

Rufus looked up and then surged forward, his mouth seeking Zack's and capturing his lips in a rough and desperate kiss. He crawled on top of the SOLDIER, ignoring Zack's muffled noise of protest and confusion as he straddled his hips and pressed the kiss further, his tongue slipping between Zack's lips and exploring deeply. Rufus knew what he wanted - what he _needed_ \- to banish the last vestiges of the dream.

And Rufus rarely asked for what he needed, when he could just take it.

Zack's arms were still around him, and they slowly tightened as the kiss drew out. That helped, a bit, and Rufus allowed his hands to wander, exploring the planes of Zack's chest through the soft ribbed sweater, skimming over the leather straps and trying to figure out how the whole thing _worked_.

Finally he came up for air, frustrated by the SOLDIER's uniform and half-wishing for the simplicity of a blazer, a button-down shirt, and a tie that would make such a convenient leash right about now.

"You don't have to do this," he grunted, though it was a platitude. Zack wouldn't say no.

He couldn't say no. Could he?

Rufus didn't plead with him, but he didn't have to. A smile was there and easy on Zack's lips, and the other man's eyes sparkled. Zack slid a hand up and rubbed the pad of his thumb over Rufus' lower lip, and he could feel how it was swollen from the ferocity of the kiss.

"Who'd say no?" Zack asked cheerfully, and Rufus believed him.

Rufus wouldn't admit how relieved those few words made him feel.

"Well, someone certainly remembers who signs their paycheques," Rufus grumbled, and fumbled again for catches. Zack squirmed and reached down, and with a few flicks of his fingers, the leather was falling away.

"Right, but it's not you," Zack said, sitting up partway and pulling the sweater up over his head. Rufus could feel the strength in that simple motion and remembered that regardless of the leverage he had, Zack could knock him across the room with his pinkie finger.

Considering the situation, that realization should have changed everything, but it didn't matter. Maybe because it was Zack, and Rufus was already starting to feel like he had him figured. Maybe just because it wasn't Xin.

Rufus pressed his hands to Zack's chest and knew that he'd drop back a moment before he did. He bent and kissed him, and when his tongue slipped out to explore, Zack gleefully opened his mouth. There was no struggle for control, no question of domination.

Another day it would have been boring, but Rufus suspected that Zack knew exactly what he was doing - and how deeply Rufus needed it right then.

Zack was still helping deal with the clothing issue, even as Rufus thoroughly devoured his mouth. He lifted his hips as if Rufus were no more than a featherweight, and a moment later tossed the entire belt and all of his straps away.

Rufus pulled back and shook his head to himself. "Incredible," he murmured.

"You're not so bad yourself," Zack quipped. His hands slid up Rufus' thighs, but Rufus noticed he didn't go any further than that, or even take the initiative to go after some of Rufus' clothing.

It annoyed him to be treated like he was fragile, even if he was. He grabbed Zack's wrist and slid his hand between his legs, pressing Zack's palm to the growing bulge in his pants. "Then what are you waiting for?" he growled

Zack raised an eyebrow. His fingers convulsed, sending a shock of sensation through Rufus' body. "An invitation."

Rufus left Zack's hand there and reached up, undoing the few buttons of his shirt that still hung on stubbornly, then shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it aside. "Consider it an _order_ ," he said archly.

The sky was beginning to lighten, and Rufus could see more and more with every passing moment. The whiteness of teeth flashed in the light coming in through the windows as Zack smiled. "Yes, _sir_."

Suddenly Zack moved, sitting up and slipping arms around him. Rufus found himself on the floor a moment later, lowered as gently as a babe in arms, and yet so quickly he hadn't had a chance to react.

Despite how carefully Zack held him, as if he were made of spun sugar, Rufus found the breath was blown out of him and he was left gasping. _Ramuh, what the hell has my father created?_ he wondered, stunned by the casual display of power contained in those few movements.

"I'm so glad you're on my side," Rufus blurted. His heart was pounding. Zack only gave him a confused look, then bent down to kiss him as tenderly as a lover.

"You're totally safe with me, Rufus," Zack murmured against his lips. "Nothing can hurt you, so long as I'm here."

"I believe you," Rufus said, honestly. Then he found himself smiling, his lips quirking to one side. "Now get on with it. You talk too much."

Zack blew out a breath and laughed. "Everyone says that."

Rufus rolled his eyes, but then Zack's fingers were at his fly, undoing the button and sliding a hand inside to cup his cock, and every sarcastic remark he might have come up with flew right out of his head.

His own fingers fumbled at Zack's pants, but it wasn't nearly so complicated without all of the belts and buckles in the way. A moment later, he conquered that particular frontier, and Zack's cock was sliding through his fingers, hot and rigid with desire.

Zack groaned and jerked his hips forward, his own hand picking up its pace on Rufus' member. "Yeah, yeah," he gasped, his breath hot on Rufus' chest. His tongue flicked out and circled a nipple, and Rufus felt it harden. "Yeah, Rufus. Ramuh, you're so fucking hot."

Rufus groaned and squirmed, thrusting upwards through the circle of Zack's fingers. "You're still...talking..." It was actually a bit distracting, though Rufus certainly didn't mind the content.

But he'd already come up with the perfect solution. He curled the fingers of his free hand in Zack's hair and urged his head downwards. Zack went, as obedient as a puppy, and swallowed Rufus' cock.

Merciful silence. If one could call it silence, with Rufus gasping and crying out softly. His fingers fisted in Zack's hair, his other hand curled around his shoulder, urging him on as he bobbed his head up and down, sucking at Rufus' dick and sending shock after shock of pleasure through him.

It drove everything else, every other consideration out of his mind, and for the first time in weeks Rufus wasn't thinking a damn thing other than how perfect this was.

Not completely perfect, though. There was one thing that Rufus wanted, and a blowjob wasn't going to do it. "Prepare...yourself..." Rufus gasped after a few moments.

That gave Zack pause for a moment, and Rufus cried out again as his cock slipped from Zack's mouth. "You mean--?"

"You know what I mean, SOLDIER," Rufus growled, too frustrated to be nice as his body screamed for Zack to continue _exactly_ what he'd been doing.

There was no lube, but what was the point in making super-strong, super-perfect, super-soldiers if they couldn't handle a little pain?

Zack blinked, then grinned and nodded. He shimmied out of his pants and then bent to continue the glorious things he'd been doing with his mouth. "Sir, yes sir," he said, with just as much cheer as before. If he was actually nervous about it, he was hiding it well.

That suited Rufus just fine. He closed his eyes and struggled not to give in to his orgasm as Zack reached between his own legs and fucked himself with his fingers.

It didn't take long before Rufus was pulling Zack's head up desperately and pushing him over onto his back. He climbed the man like a tree, shucking his own pants and rocking against him urgently. Zack held him tightly, guiding him closer, and he keened a sound composed of mixed pleasure and pain as Rufus slid into his body.

The friction was almost painful, even for Rufus. The blond gasped for breath and pushed forward, trying not to think about how this had to feel for Zack, though by the way the SOLDIER was clutching at him and babbling encouragements, it couldn't have hurt _that_ much.

Buried to the hilt in the larger, muscled body, Rufus fucked Zack hard and fast, giving neither of them time to truly relax, truly give in. The pain spiralled together with the ecstasy, and their cries as they both drove straight towards climax and right over the edge in a headlong rush filled the crisp dawn air.

Rufus came back to himself covered in sweat and collapsed on top of Zack's heaving chest. He was still gasping for breath, but he felt like something had been expelled from him along with the seed. Something dark and debilitated with fear. He wasn't sure it was gone for good, and he didn't believe in the magical healing power of sex.

But there was something to be said for a good romp, and the sensation of really being in control of a situation, even for only a few moments.

Zack's hand was gently stroking the base of his spine, thumb rubbing just over the curve of his ass. It was oddly soothing, and Rufus let his eyes slip closed again.

He didn't even realize he'd dropped off to sleep again until he woke a few hours later, bundled in blankets up to his chin and still naked. Bright sun was streaming in through the shack's single window, and Rufus wondered how late it was.

Zack was nowhere to be seen when he opened his eyes, but he sensed he was nearby, and his feeling was confirmed when the door swung open a moment later. More light flooded into the room, and Zack's figure was framed in the doorway.

"Awake? Great!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "I've gassed up the cycle, and we can get going anytime you're ready, Rufus."

Rufus nodded and pulled back the scratchy blankets, enjoying the long, appreciative look Zack gave him as he poured himself back into his disgusting, filthy clothes. They were only a step above going naked - but a step was enough. Barely.

"What's the plan for today?" he asked as he turned back to the SOLDIER.

"Ride like hell," Zack said with a grin. "The question for you is where to. I've been thinking, and I think we really only have two options."

"And those are?" Rufus prompted, bending to fill his pockets with ration bars. Just in case. Being hungry was not a sensation he was used to, nor did he enjoy it.

Zack busied himself with folding up the blankets and stowing them away as he spoke. "Option number one is to catch up with the convoy, cause a shitstorm, and hopefully foil the plan completely. Option number two is to go straight for the front and catch up with Sephiroth, and tell him about our suspicions, hopefully before the Wutaians can pull off their plan."

"I suppose we have a cost-benefit analysis to make on that?" Rufus remarked, then wondered why Zack gave him a funny look.

"Yeah," Zack said after a moment. "There's a chance that even if we go after the convoy, we won't catch up, or won't find it, and just end up on some wild goose chase that doesn't help anyone else. Also, it'd be one thing if I were alone, but I've got your safety to consider. I'd feel pretty dumb if I rescued you only for you to be caught by a stray bullet or creamed in a motorcycle accident because I brought you into a war zone."

Rufus considered that, wincing. "And for the second option?"

"Well, Sephiroth might not believe us," Zack said. "Or we might not get there before the convoy anyway, since theoretically they're between us and them. So we might end up still not helping by trying to circle around and get to safety instead of dealing with the problem ourselves."

"Right." It seemed obvious what the answer was. "In that case, it's clear we should take both options." Zack blinked, and Rufus grinned before giving him the explanation. "We head generally towards the front, and if we find any signs of the convoy, we move in and destroy it. Damn the risk to me - I won't be safe if we get to the front only to find the smoking ruins of Sephiroth's army."

He watched with pleasure as Zack's eyes lit up with enthusiasm, though the SOLDIER was obviously trying not to betray how excited he was. "You're right, sir. What kinds of heroes would we be if we skulked around and ran to hide under Sephiroth's skirts?"

Rufus understood the sentiment, but one word confused him. "We?"

Zack clapped him on the back as he headed for the door. "Don't you want to be a hero, Rufus? Just once?"

"I never really thought of myself as hero material," Rufus admitted, following Zack out into the bright sunlight. "Besides, I doubt I want Wutai to know I had any personal part in foiling their plans. They already want me dead."

"Well, I figure it's time for you to start thinking about it," Zack said cheerfully. "Life's not worth living if you can't be a hero, even if no one ever gets to know about it."

~ ~ ~

Fong Xin crouched low over the handlebars of the bike as he pushed it nearly to the red-line and the motor screamed as the entire frame began to shake. He leaned deeply into each turn and prayed to Leviathan that he wouldn't go into a skid and wind up flying off the cliff to smash into a million pieces on the rocks below.

He'd driven until he couldn't see anymore, then slept under the overhang of a cliff, tortured by fevered dreams in which he heard the screams of his friends and the explosions as his home was obliterated. The explosions sounded just like the ones that had erupted after he fled the campsite, and the screams were echoes of those the rest of his convoy had given as they burned in their beds after being attacked by the ShinRa freak.

He took off again the next morning as soon as the sun woke him. The bike would take him to the rendezvous point. Probably. The fuel gauge was dropping steadily, and he pushed the bike just a little harder, recalling that the machine was more fuel efficient at higher speeds.

Hopefully it would make enough of a difference.

The fact was, he knew the demon and the boy were on his tail. It was said that the ShinRa SOLDIERs could see in the dark, could keep going long after even the most highly-trained ninja would have dropped dead of exhaustion, and could call upon magics that were normally reserved only for the gods.

His scar burned with the knowledge that that was true.

He had to get to the rendezvous before they caught him and killed him. Of course they would torture him before his end, and he had no doubt that the boy prince would enjoy watching his dog do so, after what Xin had done to him over the last few days.

But that wasn't why he was pushing himself to the brink of death to put distance between himself and his pursuers. The truth was, he would welcome the chance to pit himself against the demon who had killed so many of his countrymen, once again. He didn't fear death or torture.

No, he couldn't allow himself that pleasure. He had a duty, and while he had failed to keep hold of the boy prince, there was an even more precious item he still had to deliver, or their entire plan, all the work they had done sneaking men and supplies across the border in ones and twos, would be for nothing.

It was simple luck that he'd managed to get out with it, and he wouldn't allow his failure to be total.

Wutai could still expel the infidels, drive them off with such a decisive victory that they would scurry home to their corrupt, dirty city with their tails between their legs.

And with a little luck, in their victory they could recapture the boy prince and ensure that ShinRa never dared to return, as well.


	3. Chapter 3

Zack enjoyed the feeling of Rufus' arms around him even more the second day than he had the first. The fact that the simple press of hands awoke memories that gave him a fun little thrill in the pit of his stomach helped to keep him from worrying too much about what was ahead.

Worrying wasn't his style, anyway, but there was so much uncertainty. He knew where Sephiroth was supposed to be located - after all, that was where his transport had been headed before it was blown to smithereens - but where the Wutaians might be between here and there was anyone's guess. He could blast right by them without even knowing, or turn a corner and blunder into them. And considering the blond baggage he was carrying around, the last thing he wanted to do was get into a fight he wasn't prepared for.

Not that he resented the 'baggage' one bit. Rufus was not at all the kind of person he'd thought he was. Though he was obviously raised with a silver spoon shoved up his ass, there was a streak of...something inside him that his father lacked. Zack wasn't sure yet whether to call it honour, but it was something.

Something that told Zack that Rufus was worthy of some trust, anyway.

And speaking of blundering, Zack spotted something ahead and was bringing the bike to a screaming, skidding halt before his brain had quite caught up to what his eyes had seen.

Rufus' arms had tightened around his waist so tightly that it almost hurt. "What happened?" he asked in a tight, not-panicking-no-sir voice.

Zack took a moment to catch his breath, then gestured towards the gravel-covered road ahead. "This is just like the minefield that caught me before, Rufus," he explained. "Sorry for giving you a scare."

But what to do? It could be an innocent shower of rocks, some minor debris left over from an avalanche. But Zack thought it likely that the Wutaians had planted more than one trap to catch anyone who might stumble upon their army. And to get around it would take them miles out of their way. In fact, with the treacherous mountain passes, it could be there _was_ no other way.

Though on the bright side, if it really was a trap it meant they were on the right track.

Rufus leaned over to look. "I'd rather be scared by an abrupt stop then get blown up," he said. "Is there a way around? One that won't sacrifice the time we've gained by going this face?"

Zack winced as his own thoughts were echoed. "I don't think so," he said regretfully.

"What now, then?"

One might have expected Rufus to take charge, and Zack thought it was a bit neat that he _didn't_. He trusted Zack's expertise and abilities, and that made his chest puff up with pride.

The trouble was, he had no idea what to do.

"Well, I guess we need to get across here without setting off any mines," he said slowly. "They might not be sensitive enough to pick up a single person walking. In fact, they might be safe on the bike, but I'm not sure I want to risk it."

"But how to get the bike across? We can't leave it here," Rufus pointed out.

Zack hesitated, put the kickstand down and got off the bike. He walked to the edge of the gravel and looked across. "I might be able to lift the bike," he said doubtfully. "But it'd be way, _way_ to far to jump with it in my arms. They picked a good spot, too, with cliffs too high and sheer on either side. No way I can climb around it on the rocks with the bike, either."

"Are you joking?" Rufus' voice was stunned, almost angry.

Startled, Zack turned towards him. Rufus was standing beside the bike, his arms folded and a glare on his face. "Hey...I mean, what do you want?" Zack exclaimed, affronted. "I might be a super soldier, and all that stuff, but I can't do everything, sir. Even I have limits!"

Rufus' blue eyes widened, and then he sighed and dropped the pose. "Don't be ridiculous," he said. "That wasn't what I was saying at all." He pointed back the way they had come. "A mile back there I saw a stand of fairly thick trees. Do you think you could cut a couple of them down, or is that beyond your limits, too?"

Zack stared at Rufus, trying to figure out if he was pulling his leg or not. "I...I probably could, yeah."

"Good," Rufus said. "While I'm not surprised that you've been trained to throw yourself at every obstacle until you batter it down, some obstacles can be avoided by going around - or in this case, going over."

The SOLDIER blinked rapidly, and then grinned as he realized what Rufus was getting at. "You're right, sir - ah, Rufus. Sorry about that. I'll get started right away. You just sit tight and wait."

It took him about an hour to cut down a few trees and haul them back. His poor sword protested the treatment, but even an edge dulled by cutting wood would be deadly against the Wutaians when he finally caught up to them. He'd sharpen it and give it a bit of pampering when they got back to base.

After that, it was fairly simple and fast to construct a rough ramp. It wasn't pretty, but it would be enough, he hoped.

Rufus gazed at it doubtfully, then looked at Zack. "I'm trusting you," he said seriously.

Zack didn't let his misgivings dim his enthusiasm. "It'll work, and it's better than being blown to smithereens," he said cheerfully. "Just get on and hang on tight."

"Right," Rufus said as they mounted the bike and Zack gunned the engine. "Now instead of just being blown to smithereens, I'll just fall from a great height, then _then_ get blown to smithereens."

Zack could tell that Rufus was just talking trash because he was nervous - and he was pretty damn nervous himself, so he couldn't exactly blame him. He let his grin widen. "Glad you have so much faith in me."

"I have faith in you, Zack," Rufus said gravely. "Just not in that--ah!"

As they spoke, Zack released the brake and they roared forward, up the crude ramp. He pulled back on the handlebars just as the front wheels left solid earth and they sailed into the air. The ramp collapsed behind them, and an explosion provided an extra push as fire rushed up into the sky and then a rain of burning wood came pattering down on them.

Rufus didn't scream, but he damn near compressed Zack's stomach into his spine. Zack felt the Vice-President's forehead pressing so hard into his back that he suspected Rufus wanted to crawl right inside him to hide.

They hit the ground just beyond the trap and Zack didn't wait around. He skidded for a second, corrected, and then gunned it away down the road. The Wutaians would probably hear that explosion and come to investigate, like they had done when they blew up the transport.

He was looking forward to it, and they didn't disappoint.

Ten minutes later, he heard the roar of engines over the sound of his own. "Hang onto your balls, sir," he called cheerfully, letting go of the handlebars with one hand to grab his sword.

"After that landing, my balls are beyond saving," Rufus shouted back. "Just get us through this, Zack."

Zack laughed as three Wutaians on motorcycles came around the corner and he settled in for a friendly game of chicken. "Just stay _right_ behind me," he advised Rufus as the first hail of bullets arrowed towards him and he deflected them with his sword.

Rufus was already hunkered down behind him on the bike, with all legs and arms firmly inside the ride.

Zack deflected another hail of bullets, and then he was on them. He leaned to one side, zipping past between the bike and the cliff wall with only inches to spare, and took out the first Wutaian soldier with a sweep of his sword. As he expected, the dulled edge really didn't matter, as the man was thrown off of his bike and landed on the road with a sickening crunch.

Zack weaved back and forth, taking out the second and third bike, only for a fourth to roar around the corner right before he reached it. There was a dicey moment and Zack cursed, throwing himself to one side and just praying that they missed each other. Thankfully, the other man panicked, too, and the next moment he was screaming as he went into a skid and sailed right off the cliff.

Then suddenly there were two deafening explosions right by Zack's ear and a scream from above. Zack twisted around in shock to see Rufus had produced a gun from somewhere and had it pointed upwards at an angle. He looked up to see two more Wutaians up on a high cliff not far away. The sniper rifle was still cocked and supported on its tripod, but both soldiers were dead.

"Nice shooting, Rufus!" Zack crowed. "Where the heck did you get that gun?"

Rufus holstered the gun and grabbed onto Zack again with both hands. "You were a bit distracted," he said. "I got it this morning, of course, before we left that stash. Now, they can't be far away with that response time. Let's hurry."

Zack nodded and gunned the engine, roaring down the road in a cloud of dust.

"I think we'd better do a bit of scouting," Zack said after a moment, after Rufus dispatched another set of lookouts a little further down the road. "I don't really want to run across their camp without being ready."

Angeal would be so _very_ proud.

Rufus nodded. He was pressed so close to Zack's back, holding himself there with one arm since the other one was occupied with the long-barrelled pistol he'd appropriated from stores, that Zack could feel the movement. "That seems smart. So we'll proceed on foot?"

Zack pulled off the road and wheeled the bike behind a large boulder and a couple of scraggly trees. "I think you should stay here, Rufus," he said seriously. It wasn't that Rufus wasn't good to have around, but in an actual battle situation wasn't sure he'd be able to keep up.

"No," Rufus said without hesitation, and the tone of his voice made Zack wince.

He got off the bike and turned to face the other man, hands on his hips. "Look--"

"I said no," Rufus said. He looked up at Zack and the SOLDIER was struck by the strength of that blue-eyed gaze. Guy had balls, staring at a SOLDIER that way, that was for sure, even if they were on the same side.

Zack raised his hands. "Why not? Rufus, it's not that I don't trust you at my back. I'm just..."

"You're just concerned I will hold you back," Rufus finished for him, his lips pulling to one side wryly. Zack felt his cheeks warm and shrugged helplessly. He'd hit the nail on the head, and they both knew it. Rufus shook his head. "I understand the problem, but I'm not letting you out of my sight. What if there are more Wutaians around here and I can't fight them off without your help? Then you'll find yourself back in a hostage situation."

Zack hesitated. Rufus had a point. Sort of. At least if he could keep an eye on him he'd know where he was and wouldn't get blindsided. But there were other complications.

He had a pretty strong feeling that Rufus' reasons for not being left alone were more emotional than logical. _Can't really blame him, after what he went through. He must be fucking scared, though he's doing a great job of hiding it. Look at what happened last night? The nightmare and all, and then the way he woke up,_ he thought to himself, as he held Rufus' defiant gaze.

He grinned abruptly, and saw Rufus relax. "Okay, you win," he said. "Let's get going. It's gonna be rough, though. We'd better climb, and stay out of the road."

Rufus nodded and brushed a lock of hair out of his face. "I understand, Zack. I'll do my best."

Zack rested a hand on Rufus' shoulder for a moment, then turned away and scrambled up the rise, taking a leap at the end to catch a boulder and haul himself up to the top. He glanced back and saw Rufus on the ground, staring up at him with a look of intense consternation. He was at least ten feet up.

Sighing inwardly, Zack dropped to his stomach and stretched out a hand, not letting his smile falter for a moment. "Come on, Rufus. You don't want to be left behind, right?"

Rufus glared and jumped to catch Zack's arm, and Zack pulled him up. "Don't make fun of me," he said as he got to his feet on top of the boulder. "One day I'll be signing your paycheques."

Zack snickered and slung an arm around his shoulder for a moment. "Yeah, but I'm only teasing, so you don't really mind, right?"

Rufus eyed him from under his bangs, then reluctantly smiled. "Get going, SOLDIER," he said.

Saluting, Zack turned and continued on, keeping Rufus visible out of the corner of his eye. "Yes sir!"

It took an hour of scrambling over and around rocks and twice having to find ways around barriers that were impassable even if Zack had been alone. Rufus needed a hand a few times, but continued on with dogged determination that Zack had to admire, even though he was frustrated with the snail's pace.

Eventually, though, he heard the sounds of people. Lots of people. He gestured to Rufus for quiet and they moved forward slowly and quietly.

Another set of lookouts stood at the top of the ridge, near the road, and Zack took them down as silently as he could. He was no ninja, but he was fast and they were both dead before either of them had noticed his presence. Rufus stood back and watched without comment.

Finally they caught their first glimpse of the Wutaian encampment.

If this wasn't the army that was being sent to attack Sephiroth from behind, Zack would eat his materia. There were at least thirty tents - big ones, holding ten soldiers each, by Zack's estimate. Motorcycles buzzed around the encampment like flies, and ten more trucks holding supplies had been drawn together at the centre of the camp. Zack salivated at the thought of the explosion they would make if he could just get to them, but he'd have to get past all of those soldiers, first.

They were both flat on their stomachs on the rocks, and Zack was grateful for the low light of dusk which would serve to camouflage their presence from anyone who chose to look up. Zack glanced at Rufus and saw his own worries reflected in the other man's eyes, though there was also hope there.

"What do you recommend?" Rufus asked.

Zack hesitated. He'd never had to run an operation himself before. Angeal always gave him the strategy and he tried to follow it. When he'd rescued Rufus, he'd run straight in there without a plan. But to take out three hundred Wutaian soldiers without any cover, he'd need more than brute strength. Especially if Rufus was along. It was just too dangerous, and he couldn't risk Rufus getting hurt.

"We need to take out all of the lookouts, then create a distraction," he heard himself say. "Draw off some people and throw the camp into confusion. Then I'll get in and take out the trucks, then mop up any that survive the explosion."

Hey, that sounded like a pretty good plan, and Rufus was nodding like he thought it was too. Good thing he'd come up with it.

"How will we take out the lookouts? And what will we use as a distraction?"

"Well, uh..." Zack was about to say Rufus should just leave it to him, but he hesitated when he realized Rufus probably wouldn't like that answer any better now than he had a hour before. And then he thought of something that might make the whole thing work out.

"I've got the perfect plan," he said cheerfully, crawling back out of immediate sight of the camp and jumping to his feet. Rufus followed him. "You just sit tight here though, okay? I'll be back in twenty minutes."

Rufus blinked and opened his mouth to object, but Zack held up a hand. "I will be _right_ back. The lookouts here are dead, and I doubt they'll change shifts in the next half-hour. Wrong time of day. You'll be safe. Trust me, okay?" Then, more inspiration struck, right in the nick of time. "And I need you to keep an eye on the troop movements for me. Watch and see if there are patrols, and see if you can get a rough count."

There was a short silence, and then Rufus nodded. "I'll be here when you get back," he said. "I'll watch and give you a report when you get back." He turned onto his stomach again and crawled back to their spot, while Zack turned and raced away at top speed.

As he suspected, Rufus was a lot more secure when he had a concrete goal to follow instead of just sitting around waiting for Zack to do things. He liked the plan, though Zack did send him off with a qualm, worried that he'd just given Rufus the most dangerous part of the plan.

 _He'll be okay, though. I'm sure he can do this, even if he's a President's Son instead of a SOLDIER or a Turk,_ he told himself as he snuck around the camp, taking out lookout patrols. They were at regular intervals, and he was pretty sure he hadn't missed any. They were oddly alert, as if they were expecting an attack, but Zack was a SOLDIER Second Class. No pair of individual Wutaian soldiers was a match for him.

He managed to work his way around to the starting point without any kind of alarm being raised, and then all he could do was sit tight and wait for Rufus.

As they'd agreed, half an hour after full dark, Rufus blew up the mako gasoline tank Zack had detached from their motorcycle. The explosion actually set a tent on fire at that side of the camp, and the camp was sent into an orgy of confusion. Soldiers ran to and fro, grabbing gear and exclaiming about the lack of warning. Of course, none of the lookout patrols were there to respond, so it was down to the soldiers who had been relaxing and resting up for the evening.

And this was Zack's cue. He jumped up and raced straight down the cliff, sword in hand. This time, he didn't try to attract any attention by setting off fire spells. He cut down about a dozen men on the way, but reached the trucks without meeting any real resistance. At least, no resistance he couldn't handle.

A couple of fire spells _were_ directed towards those trucks, and then he turned tail and got the hell out of there. He still felt it when the fire reached the fuel tanks and the whole convoy was blown sky-high. The concussion nearly knocked him flat, and _did_ knock down the majority of the people in the valley.

Almost all of the tents were burning merrily now, and there were secondary explosions going up as motorcycles got caught up in the fire.

There was no time to enjoy the carnage, though. Soldiers were noticing him and coming to attack, and Zack fended off a hail of bullets from one unit that had somehow managed to organize themselves despite the general confusion and difficult conditions.

He raced towards them, some bullets glancing off of his sword and the rest whizzing harmlessly past him. The soldiers scattered when he reached them, and he laid into them with his sword, felling about half and then going after the rest before they could get far.

Then, a shout reached him. "You! ShinRa freak!"

Zack cut down the last soldier, then turned to face the new threat. His face set in a grim expression as he recognized the scar running down the face of the man who was striding towards him.

"Hey, my name's Zack," he called back cheerfully. "Not freak. But I guess it's easy for you to get that confused."

"Where is the boy prince?" Fong Xin growled. To Zack's amazement, while he had a machinegun slung over his shoulder, he didn't raise it.

"I'm right here."

Zack cursed inwardly even as he grinned at Rufus, who walked up towards them with gun in hand. He had spatters of blood on his face and clothing, but so far as Zack could tell he wasn't injured.

Xin grinned toothily. "I'm so pleased that you've delivered yourself to me," he said. "Now wait there while I dispatch my sworn enemy."

"Who, me?" Zack asked as Xin turned towards him.

"Have you forgotten so quickly?" Xin exclaimed, his face contorting grotesquely with rage. "The one who defeated my unit. The one who gave me this scar! It was you!"

Zack blinked, and something that had been bugging him since he first saw Xin became clear. His last mission, before his vacation, this was the captain of the unit he and Angeal had ambushed. They had been uncomfortably close to the border, and he recalled Angeal mentioning that fact at the time. "Oh yeah. I thought you were dead." Then his eyes widened. "And you were planning on sneaking across the border, weren't you? That was part of the plan. No wonder you're pissed off. I guess I saved Rufus from being kidnapped a few months ago, and stopped a good twenty more men from being here today."

Xin turned his head and spat on the ground. "You are correct. You and the other freaks have been a scourge on my people, and I don't intend to let you go this time."

Zack levelled his sword at Xin and grinned. "So what are you going to do differently this time, Xin? Gonna use that toy gun on me? Good luck. I'm faster than that, and you know it."

"I know, but I don't need this," Xin said, and raised his left hand, which was beginning to glow. "The boy prince wasn't the only thing we brought out of ShinRa's Tower."

"Shit!" Zack started to go forward, but an instinct caused him to reverse direction abruptly when a huge explosion of light erupted from the materia on Xin's arm. The concussion caught him despite the fact that he somehow managed to dodge the spell, and he flew through the air, slamming painfully into the ground twenty feet away.

Gasping, Zack jumped to his feet and turned, but Xin was already powering up another spell. "What the hell is that?" he exclaimed, throwing himself out of the path of the second attack. The ball of light missed him and slammed into another soldier, and when it faded there was nothing left but a bit of blood.

"Ultima!" Xin exclaimed, laughing.

"Secret project," Rufus added.

He had taken shelter behind a collapsed tent, but his words attracted Xin's attention. "You may be able to cheat death with your freakish speed, Zack," he said. "But what would you do if I sent one of these spells towards your beloved prince, hmm?"

"Fuck," Zack whispered under his breath as the spell fired up again, and this time Xin's hand was pointed to Rufus. The blond jumped to his feet, poised to run, but Zack already knew there was no way he could dodge that spell. And Xin was too far away for Zack to get to him and stop him, while Rufus was also too far away for Zack to protect him.

"Stop it!" Zack shouted desperately. "You won't gain anything from killing Rufus. I thought you wanted to use him as a hostage."

"So true," Xin sneered. "But I'm not above sacrificing him if it gives me the chance to kill you."

Zack took a quick step forward and tossed his sword on the ground, then spread his hands. "I'll let you do it, then. I'll stand right here and take your spell. Rufus, run!"

Xin turned towards Zack, an exultant grin on his face as he raised his hand to release the charged spell. Zack saw Rufus' jaw drop right before he closed his eyes and waited for the spell. Hopefully Rufus would be able to escape in the confusion before Xin got to him.

A loud explosive sound made Zack's eyes fly open again, and he saw Xin drop over onto his back in a spray of blood and brains. Rufus stood exactly where he'd been before, his gun pointed straight at the Wutaian, and a grim expression on his face.

Rufus walked forward and bent over Xin, pulling the Ultima materia out of his bracer and then faced Zack with a smile. "Good thinking, taking his attention like that," he said. "Shall we go? I think we've done what we can to stop their plan."

Zack couldn't quite make his mouth make words for a few moments, but finally he just gave up and nodded.

He was a little numb as they found themselves another motorcycle and escaped the confusion of the Wutaian camp. _Hang on, has he killed anyone before coming out here?_ he wondered.

He hadn't really thought about it until this moment, but Rufus _wasn't_ a soldier - he was a civilian. He would never have expected a civilian with no field experience to be able to do what he'd done, and certainly not so...coldly.

Who the hell was Rufus ShinRa, anyway?

~ ~ ~

The Wutaian army was scattered and had lost their morale. Zack and Rufus ran into a few small pockets of resistance, but most of those fled when they caught sight of Zack. Especially when Zack started using the Ultima materia and blasting the groups away.

Rufus recalled now a report he'd read a while back, about a materia that the laboratory was developing that was touted as being to the most powerful materia yet. Well, it appeared they'd succeeded.

And huge craters were left behind in their wake as evidence of it. He noticed that Zack wasn't enjoying himself, though. He had a grim look on his face as he blasted away at any Wutaians who tried to turn and attack them, and Rufus wondered what he was thinking.

Soon, though, they left the last of the resistance behind. They travelled for a while longer, until Rufus had finally begun to relax and really start to believe that he was out of danger. From here it should be a straight shot to the front, and the ShinRa army. They could report to General Sephiroth about what had happened and Rufus would be headed home before he knew it.

To Rufus' surprise, though, Zack came to a halt at a curve in the road. From here they had an incredible view of a mountain on the other side of a large canyon. The river in the bottom was a glittering ribbon, far below.

"What's wrong?" Rufus asked, concerned.

Zack stared out over the edge for a while, then twisted his torso around to look at Rufus. "I've been thinking about this materia. I don't like it."

Rufus arched an eyebrow. "You don't like it," he said in a neutral tone. "Well, I can't say I'm planning on asking it out on a date. What are you getting at?"

"Look, I know it's a great weapon and all," Zack said quickly. "But it's...too much, don't you think? I just don't like it."

He popped the materia out of his bracer and held it in his hand.

"Well, no one said you had to use it, Zack," Rufus said reasonably. "You're certainly powerful enough on your own, and--what are you doing?" he cried, his voice rising with sudden panic as Zack reared back and launched the materia from his hand.

It sailed out over the abyss, winking in the sunlight, and finally disappeared from view.

Rufus sat stunned, his jaw in his lap, staring after the most powerful weapon R&D had developed - short of the SOLDIER firsts themselves.

"Why did you do that?" he demanded finally.

Zack shrugged, hunching a little in his seat. "You can fire me if you want to, sir," he said. "I just think...maybe its too much for one person to have. It was stolen once, and it could happen again."

Rufus felt colour flush his cheeks as anger pulsed through him. How dare he do something like that without permission? That materia was--

What was it, really?

Another of his father's fever dreams of power, that's what.

"It's fine," he heard himself say. "ShinRa is about people power, isn't that right, Zack? We don't need something like that. We'll just say we never saw any evidence of the Ultima materia in the Wutaian camp."

Zack turned towards him and grinned. "You really mean it?"

 _No, not really,_ Rufus thought, but it didn't have any real heat. What was done was done.

He smiled, ever the politician. "I mean it, Zack. But don't do anything like that ever again - I'll let it slide, because you rescued me."

Zack flushed, but didn't lose the grin. He turned away and fired up the engine again. "Noted, sir. Let's get you home."

Rufus sighed and leaned his head against Zack's broad back once again. He definitely had the impression that Zack was far too good for ShinRa. But maybe that was just what they needed, for now.


End file.
